Richard Barr clinical negligence solicitor

Biography

My mother was a doctor. She was from Nebraska USA and for much of her working life she was the village doctor in Elm, Cambridgeshire where we lived. She later went into cancer research and set up cervical cancer screening programmes.

I have always been interested in medical cases. I have many contacts and support to assist with medical issues: my wife is a medico legal researcher. One of my step daughters is a neurosurgeon in Melbourne Australia and another is a community nurse. My daughter's husband is a neurologist. We have an extensive medical library at home. I have taken on (and won) medical cases involving a wide range of problems.

I am a Senior Litigator and an Accredited Clinical Negligence Specialist with the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

I have a special interest in head injury cases because another of my step-daughters suffered horrendous injuries as a result of a medical accident when she was aged five. She is now in her 30s and remains seriously physically and mentally disabled. As one of her carers I therefore have personal experience in dealing with all the bureaucratic and support issues and the constant uphill struggle in achieving appropriate levels of medical treatment for someone with severe disabilities.

I have written two books for the Consumers Association and I am a frequent contributor of articles to legal periodicals and occasionally to national newspapers. I was a regular columnist for Solicitors Journal until it closed and I also write light hearted (mainly non-legal) magazine articles. I have had a collection of my articles published (The Savage Poodle). Since 1984 I have been broadcasting regularly on legal matters on BBC Radio Norfolk (and still do so every few weeks - on the Chrissie Jackson mid-morning show). I am on the Council of the Law Society for England and Wales (representing solicitors in Norfolk where I live). I am also a parish council member of the Standards Committee on the North Norfolk District Council.

And I am ready to use my experience to help with your case!

Law runs in our family. My great grandfather was a judge. My father was a solicitor, and my brother and daughter are solicitors. Since the end of World War II my family have lived and worked in the Cambridgeshire/Norfolk area.

I have been a solicitor since 1971. I have experience of a wide range of legal problems but I specialise in clinical negligence and major injury cases. I have been involved in running a number of national cases - including: Opren (a painkiller that was associated with a number of deaths and serious injuries), Gulf War (claims by the veterans of the first Gulf War that they were injured by vaccines and other medications given to them), Organophosphate Sheep Dips, and MMR vaccines (claims by many parents whose children developed neurological and other problems including symptoms of autism after vaccination).